Senior political leader and the former Minister Vaijnath Patil and son Vikram Patil, who have left the fledgling Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), will on Thursday meet “like-minded people” to determine their next course of action.
The main reason for the father-son duo to part ways with the KJP was their “neglect” in the party, the senior Patil said. He added that the “confusing and compromising stand” taken by the party on the issue of a merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party had forced him to resign.
The KJP, on their part, claimed that the three leaders — Mr. Vaijanath Patil, Mukudappa and H.M. Vishwanath — who were reported to have quit the party, are still with them. Party leader V. Dhananjay Kumar said Mr. Yeddyurappa held discussions with these leaders and prevailed upon them to stay in the party.
No decision yet
However, Mr. Patil said he had quit the party, but had not taken a final decision on joining other parties and was keeping “all his options open”. Like-minded friends in the KJP will meet in Bangalore on Thursday to discuss the affairs in the party and chalk out the next course of action.
The blow-hot, blow-cold relationship between Mr. Patil and Mr. Yeddyurappa is not new. Mr. Patil, who had joined the BJP at the initiation of Mr. Yeddyurappa on the eve of the 2008 Assembly elections after the Congress denied him party ticket, had earlier resigned from the BJP. Indeed, the reason for him quitting the BJP was the differences he had with Mr. Yeddyurappa, who was then an important cog in the State unit.
Differences
Mr. Patil, who refused to join the KJP initially, sighting “ideological differences”, however, changed his mind at the last minute after the Assembly elections were announced. He was fielded as the KJP candidate from Sedam. Mr. Patil had initially tried to get Congress ticket to contest from Gulbarga South Assembly constituency.
Kanta opposed to tie-up
Another former Minister S.K. Kanta, who had also joined the KJP on the eve of the Assembly elections and unsuccessfully contested from the Gulbarga South Assembly Constituency, has made it clear that he will not resign from the KJP. However, he said he was opposed to the KJP merging with the BJP or having any tie-up or alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.
